Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-09-14

Rousdon Bay.
Now, the most remarkable thing con-
cerning Dan, his two sons and Joshua
Mech, his nephew, was that their hands
were always brown with tar. There was,
besides, smell Of things connected with
boats always lingering about his house;
| and though fishing nets were constantly
spread over the garden or on the beach,
there was very little fishing done.
Dan, farmer though he was, dressed
| habitually as boatman. On Sundays
in the summer he wore white ducks,
blue jacket with brass buttons and straw
hat, just as if he was navy man. On
other days he wore great boats, simple
blue shirt and a tarpaulin. Down in the
bay there were three boats. One Of these
was n safe, heavy built fishing smack.
Dan called her the "Chace Mary" 1t
was good many years before learned
to recognize in this name the French
chasse maree. Dan. picked her up one
night abandoned in the channel. His ex-
perience decided her origin and her name.
The boys and Joshua used now and then
to 20 out fishing in her, bringing home in
the morning a rich cargo of bright and
beautiful fish. We kept the best for our
selves, and the rector never failed to come
for his 1.-THE of John Dory, bass, hake,
pilchards or mackereL The rest went to
Lyme to be sold.
The boat which lay beside the Chace
Mary was of very different build. She
would be called now-though her lines
would no longer find favor-a fifteen ton
yacht, sloop rugged. do not know where
Dan bought her; she was long and mar
row; she was decked; she carried any
amount of canvas, and she was, as Dan
often boasted, the very fastest boat in the
channel She was called the Dancing
Polly.
Hauled up on the beach was little
dingy, gay with bright paint, and pro-
vided with neat lug sail and spirit sail
and O pair Of sculls. She belonged to me,
but was, of course, always at the service
| of the firm.
For, not to delay any longer confess
sion which must sooner or later be made,
we were all of US smugglers by trade, and
| farmers by pretense. The ten acres OF
barren cliff land could never have kept us
all during those hard times, even in
Door way We were gang Of smugglers.
Dan was the head of the firm, by heredi-
tary succession. His two boys were part
ners by the same right. Joshua Mech
was partner by grace and free gift OF
Dan. I, Pleasance Noel, was an accom-
plice, alder, and abettor.
In the reign Of great George the Third
it was as impossible to make people be-
lieve that smuggling was wrong as to
make rustic believe in the wickedness OF
knocking over hare in the field. To
evade the duty was meritorious. Then
there was the romance about the trade;
perils surrounded it ON every side; across
the water you might be caught by the
French authorities, and kept in prison, or
even shot as spy; or you might be picked
up by French privateer; or you might
be cut out by revenue cutter; or you
might be arrested while landing your
cargo. These things were considered, and
went to make daring smuggler sort of
hero. Lastly, all the country side stood
in with him. 1t was he who brought
over the best French brandy, packages of
lace, boxes of gloves, or of perfumes; he
was the provider of otherwise unattain-
able luxuries; he was public benefactor.
In no country inn could you get such
spirits as came out Of the illicit Kegs;
when landlord had any, he would whis-
llS w " 6oSoe1 oAAS
squires bought it, the magistrates bought
it, the revenue officers bought it, the
clergy bought it; no one too good, too
highly placed, too scrupulous, to buy it. A
fine and tlattering perfume OF universal
gratitude perpetually soothed the soul OF
Dan Gulliver; the sense of heroic repu-
tation added dignity to life which, If
spent only Oh the farm, would have been
certainly monotonous, and probably igno-
BILE.
Gratitude among the people naturally
took the shape of completely. 1t some
times happened that Dams carts-those
innocent carts laden with poultry, vegeta-
bles or fish, which Job or Jephthah drove
into Lyme-were stopped and searched.
| One would think that Dan was regularly
warned, because nothing was ever found
in them. If the revenue cutter CHANGED
| to look in at Rousdon bay, the Dancing
| Polly was lying ut anchor without the
least sign of an intended run, and Dan
would be calking the Chace Mary or
mending fishing nets or painting the
dingy, with grave face and q twinkle in
| his eye.
With a fast boat like the Dancing
| Polly, with four such handy boatmen as
the crew who manned her, the cEief dan
ger was that of landing the cargo. 1t
| was desirable to know before the run
where the revenue cutter was; this infor-
nation was got by myself, or by one OF
the boys, from the boatmen OF the covo
| at Lyme or from the fishermen of Beer.
| She might have been heard Of at Wey-
mouth or she might be lying in Bridport.
Once when we thought she was away up
the Solent, she came out Of Lulworth
cove and chased Dan for three long days,
so that he only got away without throw
ing his cargo overheard by the swiftness
! of his heels and the providential interpo-
| sition of fog. We had to get news from
Weymouth, from Swanage, Poole, Lynn
| ington and Yarmouth in the west, as
from Beer, Sidmouth, Ladram bay and
| Dartmouth. The revenue cutter once
ascertained to be out of the way, there
was little or no danger of interference
from any of the shore going folk.
When all seemed safe as regards the
| excise and run was resolved on, it was
brave to see the little craft, with Dan at
the "hellum," Job and Jephthah in the
bows and Joshua 'midships, beating her
way out of the little narrow bay straight
OuU lllO luC U1QChueSo Ucy AoA
never started except ut night and when
| there was moonless sky. would stand
on the beach, the wind blowing my hair
about and the spray flying into my face,
to get the last sight of the gallant boat.
| Then I would go home and stay there
| quite alone until they returned, in
couple of days or so, laden with the
brandy in kegs. never had any fear for
them. Dan knew every inch Of the
French and English coasts; he could steer
| blindfold he could find Rousdon bay in
the blackest night; he was not afraid, in
his tight little craft, of any reasonable
weather, provided only that when he
| landed there were no revenue men waiting
to capture the hero of hundred runs.
Dan was always sailor, in manner
and dress; Job and Jephthah played two
parts: when they wore corduroys and q
| smock they were farm laborers, and
slouchcd in their gait, lifting their feet
heavily and swinging their shoulders, as
those do who 60 much upon clay; when
they were OH board they dressed like boat
men and they rolled like sailors. Joshua,
on the other hand, played three parts. AS
miller, he had the reputation of being
grasping and greedy of gain, but honest in
his dealings. In this capacity he was al
ways tloury, like his men; and had it not
been for the tar upon his fingers, you
would say he had never smelled salt
| water. AS sailor, he was as daring as